A Year Later
by fredsavage
Summary: Its been a year since the warehouse and all the pain it caused and the ocean on a paddle board is a wonderful place to contemplate the changes.


Maura gazes out over the horizon, where the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean meet the blue sky. She feels the sun on her skin; her bones loosen and raises her face to the sky. She takes a deep breath in and scans the white sand shore not too far away. She sees her favorite brunette sprawled out on one of the lounge chairs on the beach, her lean body deliciously tan, mahogany hair piled on her head, her nose buried in a crime novel, her hand around a fruity drink. The color of the drink matching her bikini perfectly, Maura smiles and turns her attention back to the ocean around her, taking it in.

It had been a year, a year since the warehouse, since she and Jane could barely be in the same room as each other. It had been a year since Maura thought they were beyond repair, that she would have to go back to being by herself, that life had changed in a way that couldn't be fixed. A year since they had made up, since Jane had saved her life, again. She feels a feathery touch by her feet and notices a school of brightly colored fish swim by. Her thoughts turn back inward as she thinks over this past year and where she is now. Her eyes find Jane again, the book now resting on her belly, eyes closed, and face relaxed. Maura can't help but sigh at the lump in her throat thinking about the detective and how their lives have changed, what they do for each other. If anyone had asked her if they would be here now this time last year, the answer would have been a resounding, 'no'.

And now…Maura's thoughts veer off into warm thoughts of Sunday mornings, long fingers, warm lips, sharing meals and runs and a host of other things that make her smile to herself as she looks down tracing the paddle board below her. Suddenly she feels warm fingers close around her ankle as it dangles in the water. Maura turns and sees a wet and smiling Jane Rizzoli looking up at her.

"Hey." Jane whispers, leaving a kiss on a warm thigh.

Maura reaches down and runs her fingers through wet, curly locks, "Hey, yourself. How's the book?"

Jane cocks her head to the side, "Hmm, good. The drink was even better. How was the paddle board?"

Jane's chin is balanced on Maura's thigh as she sits on the paddle board. That morning they had woken in a tangle of naked limbs, sunlight and sheets and had had a leisurely breakfast on their balcony overlooking the ocean and sandy beach. Maura had wanted to try the paddle boards and Jane had wanted to try out the lounge chair but now Jane wanted, needed to be closer to the doctor.

"The paddle board was good. I think the yoga really helps with my balance. And now I find I cannot stop thinking about our lives and how things have changed since this time last year."

"Hmmm. Is that bad?" Jane asks tentatively, raising her eyebrows.

Maura shakes her head and smiles widely at the detective. "No. Will you come up here with me?"

Jane's eyes light up. "Can we do that?" Jane eyes Maura suspiciously, "We won't tip over?"

Maura laughs lightly; a sound that Jane can't get enough of, Jane loves to hear Maura laugh. Jane knows that Maura has different laughs, quiet laughs for things just between them. A loud guffaw on occasion, usually in one of their kitchens and related to some ridiculous thing Jane has done. But this sparkling laugh, where her smile reaches her eyes and you can see her dimples; it gets inside you and makes you smile too.

"Yes, sweetie, we can do this. No we won't tip over. Swim to the front and push gently down so you can scoot up the board facing me."

Jane does as she is told and soon after some adjusting she finds herself on the board facing Maura, her legs draped over each side, her fingers on Maura's waist just above the purple bikini bottoms that make her mouth water.

"Hey."

"Hey." Maura leans in to leave a kiss on a smirking mouth, deepening it until Jane's eyes flutter closed.

"You're even more delicious than my fruity drink." Jane murmurs, eyelids half-mast.

"Mhmm. Lay back, slowly, Jane." Maura grins and pushes gently on Jane's chest until she's laid out on the board. Maura pulls her forward a bit, draping Jane's legs on top of her own.

Jane smiles at the doctor, rolling her hips languidly, "If I didn't know better I would say you were trying to have your way with me."

Maura just runs her fingers lightly along strong thighs that quiver under her touch. "Well, you are a detective." Maura deadpans.

"That I am." Jane agrees, closing her eyes to the hands that continue to run up and down her thighs, lulling her the same way as the waves beneath them.

"You wanna tell me what you were out here thinking about?" Jane asks after a few minutes of silence.

Maura's hands still on wet thighs as she peers back over the horizon.

"I was thinking how happy I am with my life. I was thinking about how glad I am that we decided to take this vacation right now, at this time. I was thinking about how the water is so blue and that red bikini with your skin and hair makes you even more beautiful than ever." Maura pauses when Jane snakes long fingers forward to squeeze her hand.

"I was thinking that you have changed my life and yet this time last year we weren't even talking. I couldn't even see a place for you in my life and now…" Jane sits up carefully so she can lean her forehead against Maura's. Maura takes a deep breath in; they have spoken about being grateful many times before this. Usually in the dark, noses close, wrapped up in each other arms.

"And now you, us, our life is everything. And we get to celebrate it in the waters of the Pacific where there are fruity drinks and paddle boards and you and me." Maura winds her hands around Jane's neck, "And I think I want this forever." Smiling she looks up at Jane expectantly.

"You want to be with me and share a life, forever?" Jane asks quietly, smiling.

"I think I do." Maura murmurs into sun-warmed lips, tasting of salt and home.

"I'm still a detective." Jane says.

-kiss-

"I'll still do stupid things." Maura nods.

-kiss-

"I have scars." Maura traces her fingers along Jane's abdomen.

-kiss-

"But I am thankful, humbled that you choose me. You keep choosing me."

-kiss-

"And I love you so much. I love you like I have loved no other and you make me better. Loving you makes me better."

They pause to look at each other, to touch a thigh, a cheek and tuck windswept curls behind sunburned ears.

"I want to live in the same house with you. One home." Maura begins again.

-kiss-

"I want that too." Jane whispers as gentle waves lap against the paddle board.

-kiss-

"I will overshare and 'Google talk' and be literal, try to get you to eat healthy food."

-kiss-

"I know. I want that." Jane smiles and leans back, dragging fingers in clear blue sea.

"Yes?" Maura asks leaning forward, placing her hands on muscled thighs, kissing a shoulder, nuzzling her nose into a neck smelling of coconut and heat.

"Yeah. Now enough with the serious stuff, come back to the beach and have a drink with me? I want to ogle you and your purple bikini without fear of tipping over and being nibbled on by the fishes." Sitting up, Jane runs her fingers along the tender skin of Maura's collarbone, then onto her neck.

"Oh, you do, do you?" She asks, shivering delicately.

Jane nods, dimples popping along a wide smile. "Yup."

Maura swats Jane playfully on the shoulder before shoving her off the board and into the water.

"Maura! I got water up my nose!"

Not to be outdone, Jane grabs for the board tipping a sputtering Maura into the water beside her.

"Jane! My hair is ruined!"

Laughing, Jane wraps long arms around the giggling doctor, "Oh, sweetie. I think it is time for that drink."

The two women head slowly towards the beach, towing the paddle board behind them, still laughing.


End file.
